The Best Way to Make a Habitat for Insects

Insects are often overlooked as pets. However, common pet insects such as cockroaches and praying mantids make interesting pets for kids and adults and are relatively easy to care for. Most pet insects need the same basic habitat setup. When creating a habitat for your pet insects, research their specific care needs because some may need variations on this basic insect habitat. With the proper habitat and food, many common pet insects can live one to four years, report the authors of "Reptiles, Amphibians, and Invertebrates."

Things You'll Need

  • Container
  • Lid
  • Substrate
  • Logs
  • Branches
  • Heating pad
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Instructions

    • 1

      Use a plastic pet container or glass fish tank to house the insects. The size of the container you need will depend on the size of your insects and how many insects you plan to keep in the habitat. For example, you can comfortably house five Madagascar hissing cockroaches in a 10-gallon fish tank.

    • 2

      Put a vented cover on the habitat. The plastic pet container will come with a vented cover. For the fish tank you will have to buy a screened lid separately. This will ensure that your insects don't escape.

    • 3

      Put a substrate in the cage. For most insects, a layer of paper towels or dirt works well as a substrate. If using dirt, put a 1-inch layer of dirt on the bottom of the habitat.

    • 4

      Put logs and/or branches in the habitat that are appropriate for your insects. For example, cockroaches need logs to hide under, while praying mantids need branches.

    • 5

      Keep the habitat at room temperature or put a heating pad on the low setting under half of the tank. Unless you're housing insects native to your region, most pet insects come from warm climates and may not survive temperatures below 70 degrees.